Chasing Spheres in the Texas Sky: An Ex-Astronaut’s Unexplained Encounter

A Close Encounter at 9,000 Feet

In the summer of 2024, former NASA astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao experienced a baffling close call in the clear skies over the Texas Panhandle. While piloting his private four-seat plane on an instrument flight from Colorado down to Houston, Chiao suddenly found himself face-to-face with two unidentified airborne objects at approximately 9,000 feet (~2,700 m) altitude. The objects appeared without warning in the mid-day sky – “perfectly smooth” spheres with a bright, metallic sheen, each roughly 3 feet (~1 m) in diameter. To Chiao’s astonishment, the two shiny orbs streaked by his aircraft at a distance of no more than about 20 feet (~6 m), essentially a near mid-air collision.

Chiao, a veteran pilot and space shuttle commander, had only seconds to comprehend what was happening. “They came right at me,” he later recalled of the incident. The spheres traveled in tandem – one positioned directly above the other – and matched the speed of his propeller-driven plane, estimated on the order of 100–150 mph (about 160–240 km/h). They made no audible sound as they zipped past. In fact, Chiao noted the orbs didn’t even disturb the air around his airplane with any wake turbulence. “It’s just kinda dumb luck that they didn’t hit me,” he recounted, adding that the encounter happened so quickly “there wasn’t even a chance to get scared”. Had their trajectories been offset by only a few meters, the outcome could have been catastrophic. “Obviously if I collided with them it would have been really bad – no one would’ve known what happened to me,” Chiao reflected afterward .

Table 1: Key details of Leroy Chiao’s 2024 UAP encounter. The mysterious objects (“orbs”) nearly collided with Chiao’s small aircraft, yet left no trace on any instruments. This summary compiles what is known from Chiao’s account and initial investigations:

Encounter Parameter	Description
Date & Location	August 2024, clear daytime skies over the Texas Panhandle (en route from Colorado to Houston).
Altitude	~9,000 feet (≈2,700 m) above ground level.
Objects Observed	Two spherical “orb” objects, ~3 ft (≈1 m) in diameter each, with perfectly smooth, metallic-looking surfaces. The orbs were aligned vertically (one above the other).
Distance from Plane	~20 ft (≈6 m) at closest approach – a near miss just off the wing.
Relative Speed	Similar to the small propeller plane’s speed (~100–150 mph, or 160–240 km/h). The orbs flew alongside and toward the aircraft for a brief moment, then shot past it. Notably, they produced no sound and left no wake turbulence as they passed.
Propulsion/Signature	No visible means of propulsion – no wings, rotors, exhaust or contrail observed. The objects did not appear on radar and emitted no transponder signal; Chiao’s cockpit collision-avoidance system and air traffic control both showed nothing else in the vicinity.
Pilot’s Reaction	Split-second sighting; no time for evasive action. Chiao described the encounter as “mysterious” and “disconcerting,” acknowledging “I don’t know what it was”. He noted it was sheer luck a collision was avoided.
Chiao’s Hypothesis	Possibly a secret military program test drone. “At first blush, to me, it seems like some kind of a military program – our military,” Chiao remarked. He finds an extraterrestrial origin unlikely (despite his openness to life in the universe) and mused that “if it’s not [our technology], then it gets a little more scary”.
Outcome	Unresolved. The objects remain unidentified; no definitive explanation or recovery. The incident was reported, but without physical evidence or further sightings, it joins the growing list of puzzling UAP encounters lacking closure.

A Veteran Astronaut and a Puzzling Sighting

Leroy Chiao is not just any pilot reporting a strange object – he is a highly experienced aviator and engineer who served as NASA’s International Space Station commander on Expedition 10 (2004–05) and flew on multiple Space Shuttle missions. With a flying career stretching back to the 1980s, Chiao is intimately familiar with aircraft operations, atmospheric phenomena, and the usual sights one expects in the sky. This background makes his testimony especially compelling. He was flying that day under instrument flight rules (IFR) in contact with controllers, and by all accounts the flight conditions were normal until the startling encounter. Nothing appeared on his radar or the air traffic control radar to indicate an intruder in his flight path. Yet to the pilot’s eyes, two gleaming metal spheres absolutely were there – and moving with remarkable speed and precision.

Chiao’s initial thought was that he might have nearly hit some kind of drone. In recent years, drone aircraft (whether hobbyist quadcopters or larger military UAVs) have become common sights in the sky. But several aspects of this encounter strain the drone hypothesis. Most drones are not spherical; they typically have propellers or wings. None are known to be completely silent at 100+ mph. Moreover, flying drones near other aircraft at high altitude without transponders would violate regulations and common sense. As Chiao himself pointed out, if these were U.S. test devices, it would be puzzling (and alarming) for them to be operated in active civilian airspace where a collision with a manned plane was narrowly avoided. After ruling out a misidentified conventional aircraft (there were no other planes on the FAA scope), Chiao was left genuinely perplexed by what he saw. “I don’t know what it was,” he admitted about the objects, calling the experience something that “makes you scratch your head” in hindsight.

Not Alien Visitors – But Not Easily Explained

Dr. Chiao’s scientific mindset and professional outlook shaped how he interpreted the incident. In interviews afterward, he emphasized that he does not immediately leap to “aliens” as an explanation for what he saw. In fact, Chiao is on record stating that while he personally believes intelligent life likely exists elsewhere in the universe, the vast distances of space make it highly unlikely that extraterrestrials have visited Earth. “I think it’s the height of arrogance to think that we’re the only intelligent life in the universe,” he told one reporter, “but the flip side is the universe is so vast, I have trouble believing that aliens have been able to come here”. Consistent with this view, Chiao finds an advanced secret human technology a far more plausible explanation than an alien craft. His leading theory is that the metallic spheres could have been next-generation autonomous drones – perhaps an unknown military or defense project being tested under cover of civilian airspace. “At first blush,” Chiao said, “it seems like some kind of military program… And if it’s not that, then it gets a little more scary”. In other words, if those objects didn’t belong to the U.S., one has to worry whose they might belong to, or what else they could be.

Crucially, nothing observed in the encounter defied the laws of physics – aside from the lack of wings or thrust. The orbs did not make impossible maneuvers or instantaneous accelerations; they flew in a straight line at a speed comparable to a fast aircraft. This differentiates the sighting from some classic “UFO” reports where objects dart about or hover in ways conventional aerodynamics cannot explain. In Chiao’s case, the truly mysterious aspects were the shape, stealth, and behavior of the objects: perfectly spherical, flying in concert (paired tightly together), yet with no detectable propulsion or control surfaces. Modern stealth technology can hide an aircraft from radar, but no known craft can fly without any wings or engines visible. Weather phenomena can produce ball-shaped lightning or reflections, but those would not cruise along for seconds at 9,000 feet and nearly hit an airplane on a clear day. High-altitude balloons (like plastic or foil “party” balloons) are another consideration – they can be shiny and spherical. However, balloons typically drift at relatively slow speeds, not on a coordinated parallel course with a propeller plane. Two reflective balloons could conceivably travel together if tied in tandem, but one would expect to see a tether or some erratic bobbing, which Chiao did not report. In short, no mundane explanation fits easily. This leaves a range of possibilities open, from an undisclosed human technology to an extraordinarily rare natural atmospheric event (or, for the more imaginative, something extraterrestrial), each of which raises its own set of hard questions.

Metallic “Orb” UAPs: A Wider Pattern Emerges

A spherical UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomenon) nicknamed the “Mosul Orb” was recorded by a U.S. military reconnaissance plane over Mosul, Iraq in 2016. This metallic-looking sphere (seen at lower right) is strikingly similar to the objects reported in Chiao’s encounter. Many such spherical “orb” UAPs have been observed by military and civilian observers in recent years, often exhibiting puzzling flight characteristics.

Intriguingly, the mysterious spheres described by Dr. Chiao are not an isolated occurrence. In military parlance, they would be classified as “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP) of the spherical kind. According to the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), metallic orbs are among the most frequently reported type of UAP worldwide. Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of AARO, told U.S. senators in 2023 that these orb-like objects (typically 1 to 4 meters in diameter) have been observed “all over the world,” at altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 feet, and are capable of “very interesting apparent maneuvers” in some cases. They often show no thermal exhaust signature – in other words, infrared cameras do not detect any heat plume as would be expected from an engine. Some orbs appear to hover nearly stationary, while others move at high velocities; a few have even been recorded zipping through active conflict zones. The spherical UAP captured on video by a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Middle East (July 2022) is one notable example that drew attention during a Congressional hearing: the short clip shows a shiny orb darting across the view, with no obvious means of lift or thrust. A still image from a similar case – the “Mosul Orb” seen in Iraq (2016) – is shown above, bearing a strong resemblance to what Chiao described. In fact, Kirkpatrick noted that the 2022 Middle East orb behaved consistently with other “metallic orb observations in the region” and presented “no apparent threat to airborne safety” despite its unresolved identity.

What are these spheres? Thus far, official investigators have not found evidence that these objects represent alien technology. “No credible evidence of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics,” Kirkpatrick stressed in his testimony in 2023. The vast majority of UAP reports turn out to have prosaic explanations upon investigation. As one NASA/UAP panel reported, “the majority of unidentified objects” reported to date demonstrate characteristics of balloons, unmanned drones, airborne clutter, or other readily explainable sources. In one instance, three fast-moving “orbs” detected on a sensor in the western U.S. were later identified as distant commercial aircraft whose lights and flight paths created an illusion of small hovering balls. Even for the Middle East orb video, some aerospace experts have suggested it might have been nothing more exotic than a shiny foil party balloon caught in wind currents. AARO itself has analyzed some UAP videos and found balloons (or balloon clusters) to be the likely culprits in several case. All of this underscores that strange appearance alone is not proof of extraordinary origin – many supposed “mystery orbs” dissipate under closer scientific scrutiny.

However, a crucial problem remains: many UAP sightings, especially ones like Chiao’s, lack sufficient data for definitive identification. In Chiao’s case, there was no high-resolution video or multi-sensor tracking; we rely solely on the pilot’s visual account, which, while highly credible, cannot be re-examined after the fact. AARO reports that around 2–5% of UAP cases it tracks remain truly unexplained after analysis – and that is often due to lack of evidence (blurry images, single witnesses, etc.), not because they showed undeniable alien capabilities. Chiao’s encounter unfortunately falls into this ambiguous category. With no physical evidence left behind, the two metallic spheres he saw vanished as quickly as they appeared, leaving only questions in their wake.

Aviation Safety and Calls for Transparency

One thing is certain: whatever those objects were, they posed a potential flight safety hazard. A near-miss with an unknown object at 9,000 feet is not just fodder for curiosity – it is an incident that could have ended in a fatal crash. Pilots have reported similar unnerving encounters in the past. For example, former U.S. Navy fighter pilot Ryan Graves has described his squadron’s frequent sightings of UAP off the Atlantic coast in 2014, including one incident where a spherical object flew between two F/A-18 jets in close formation, forcing the pilots to take evasive action. Graves and others have since become outspoken about the need to treat UAP as a legitimate aviation safety issue, removing stigma so that pilots and aircrew can report these events without fear of ridicule or career harm.

Dr. Chiao’s experience further highlights the importance of open communication and investigation when unknown objects penetrate civilian airspace. In the wake of his encounter, Chiao has advocated for greater transparency from authorities. “It’s hard to believe that our government doesn’t really know what’s going on,” he told one news outlet, urging officials to share any knowledge they have on UAP incursions. If the orbs were part of a classified military project, Chiao suggests there is little harm in at least acknowledging the general nature of such tests – especially if doing so can calm public speculation. On the other hand, if even the government and military are truly in the dark about objects like these, that is “a little more disconcerting,” Chiao admits. In either case, sunlight is the best disinfectant: candid data-sharing and scientific study are needed to demystify the UAP phenomenon.

Reassuringly, agencies have begun to respond. The Pentagon’s AARO office was established to systematically collect and analyze UAP reports across military and civilian channels. NASA has also convened an independent UAP study team of scientists to advise on new methods for detection and data gathering. Early findings from these efforts emphasize the need for better sensor data and standardized reporting. For instance, in late 2024, clusters of mysterious drone-like objects over U.S. airspace (particularly New Jersey) led to an interagency investigation and temporary flight restrictions. In that case, a large number turned out to be ordinary drones or even misidentified stars, and officials stated there was no evidence of a national security threat. Still, the flurry of reports put pressure on lawmakers to consider stricter regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles and to improve capabilities for intercepting truly unknown objects. The consensus among experts is that rigorous, scientific inquiry – not sensationalism – is the way to resolve UAP cases. Each new incident like Chiao’s provides an additional data point (however limited) to analyze. With time and improved monitoring, we may discover that today’s “mystery orbs” were simply a novel piece of technology or natural phenomenon not previously cataloged.

Conclusion

Dr. Leroy Chiao’s close encounter over Texas remains unexplained, but it has contributed to a growing conversation at the intersection of aviation, science, and national security. A highly trained astronaut and pilot witnessed something extraordinary – smooth metal orbs gliding through the sky with no wings and no sound – and lived to report it. His case encapsulates the mix of intrigue and caution that surrounds UAP sightings. On one hand, the incident fuels our curiosity about what new discoveries might lie just beyond the bounds of the known. On the other hand, Chiao’s pragmatic reaction reminds us that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence: he leans toward a human-made explanation, or at least wants proof before assigning an exotic origin. In the broader context, spherical unidentified objects like these have become a familiar theme in UAP reports, and authorities acknowledge they are receiving many such accounts. So far, no incontrovertible evidence of alien visitation has surfaced in these cases – indeed many “orbs” eventually get identified as benign objects or illusionsglobalnews.ca. Yet a few incidents, Chiao’s among them, remain genuinely puzzling due to the credibility of the observer and the lack of data to resolve what was seen.

Ultimately, the Texas orb encounter stands as a call for continued scientific vigilance. It urges us to keep an open mind tempered with analytical rigor. As Chiao himself has suggested, the U.S. government and scientific community should openly collaborate in investigating such incidents, sharing data and findings with the public. By doing so, we can replace speculation with knowledge. Whether the answer turns out to be an advanced stealth drone, a pair of errant balloons, or something we have yet to imagine, solving these mysteries will expand the frontiers of our understanding – and ensure our skies remain safe for all who fly. For now, Dr. Chiao’s two metallic visitors remain an enigma circling in our collective imagination, a modern-day “Foo Fighter” incident that challenges us to explain the seemingly unexplainable. The truth, one hopes, is out there – and within our grasp if we continue to investigate with both curiosity and scientific discernment.

Sources:

Chiao, L. – Interview on NewsNation (Dec 2024) – via Vice Newsvice.com vice.com.
Victor Tangermann, “Former NASA Astronaut Puzzled by Metallic Orbs He Encountered While Flying,” Futurism – The Byte, Jan 6, 2024futurism.com futurism.com.
“Former NASA astronaut reports sighting of mysterious metallic orbs,” The Economic Times (India), Dec 22, 2024economictimes.indiatimes.com.
Meredith Kile, “NASA Astronaut Says 2 ‘Metallic Orbs’ Almost Hit His Plane at 9,000 Feet,” VICE News, Dec 23, 2024vice.com vice.com.
Michelle Butterfield, “Pentagon video shows mysterious flying orb, says 650 UFOs are being tracked,” Global News (Canada), Apr 20, 2023globalnews.ca globalnews.ca.
Hannah Jackson, “Metallic flying orbs seen around the world, baffling NASA and the Pentagon,” Global News, June 1, 2023globalnews.ca globalnews.ca.
Chris Eberhart, “Footage of UFOs over conflict zones seen for first time: ‘This is devastating’,” Fox News Digital, Apr 20, 2023foxnews.com foxnews.com.